Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Yelling Never Helps

I had the misfortune of receiving a phone call at work today, in regards to a complaint about service in the branch where i work. Not that i'm in charge of that type of thing, but when i delved a little deeper to figure out what this persons issue might be i discovered that said complainer had made a colleague of mine cry last week. Why? Because he yelled at her - he stood in the branch and ranted and raved at a junior employee who has no control over anything. A-hole. So, after passing his complaint on to management who actually CAN help him, and me relating stories of other crazy clients to my poor colleague, I have decided to post this very helpful little list. Please find following top 5 tips on how to make a complaint. Nicely. Without making anyone cry.

1. Yelling never helps - seriously, i dont know why people think yelling at customer service staff is going to solve anything. We aren't deaf, and a lot of the time you are yelling at someone who doesnt have the authority to do what you want them to do. Plus, yelling only pisses us off and makes us less inclined to go out of our way to help you. Even if you dont have much nice to say, keeping your voice at a normal speaking level is a much calmer way to go about things.

2. Try and use people's proper names - or should i say, DON'T be condescending. For example, my name is Amy. Please do not repeatedly refer to me as 'love', 'sweetheart', or 'girlie'. I may be a mere woman, but i am not a doormat. If you makes you feel like a big man to yell ' Listen here girlie! ' in my face you sir are a chauvenistic pig!

3. Make sure you actually have grounds for a complaint - that is, please dont come in going off your chops about something completely minor that is a common occurence and can be easily fixed, or something tha you perceive to be entirely unfair but really is completely within the realms of normal trade. By all means, ask the question if need be but do it nicely - coming in, pointing fingers and ranting and raving, only makes you look like a goose.

4. Don't shoot the messenger - most people on the retail shop floor are just underlings. Very few of us actually have any say in whether you can have a refund, or an exchange of goods or a written letter of apology ( or whatever it is that you're after ). If you really must go off your rocker because you are that angry/annoyed/disgruntled, then please save any and all yelling for higher management, who are better equipped to deal with it, and have the authority to boot you off the property before you make someone cry.

5. The customer is not always right - i'm sorry but sometimes you just aren't. I dont know who first sprouted that line but it isnt an actual rule. There are actual rules ( the Department of Fair Trade can help you with those ) but just because you are the customer and you say something does not automatically make it right. If it turns out you are wrong, please just be gracious enough to accept that and move on. An apology to the junior colleague you made cry might be nice, but if you cant put your big kid underpants on and say sorry, then please just sulk out without any further fuss.

Oh Amy, I could have written this post! I have had all of that happen to me and more. I once had a customer swear his head off at me and accuse me of lying after I went out of my way to try and locate a copy of a book he was after and being informed that it was in fact a limited edition print run and was completely sold out across the country. That incident remains the one and only time I have ever sworn at a customer. I told him to get the fuck out of the store and never step foot in it again otherwise security would be called. I do not take being called a fuckwit, cunt or shitty little girl favourably. All for a frigging book! Some people just should not be allowed in public!